A by-the-shirt assist on what to wear Opening Day in S.F.

Aaron Britt

Updated 11:25 am, Friday, April 4, 2014

San Francisco Giants Authentic 2014 Personalized Alternate Cool Base jersey ($250.99, http://shop.mlb.com). The 2014 tweak is a big one, scrapping the block type Giants logo and replacing it with something that longtime fans will happily recall, the script logo from the late '70s and early '80s.
Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

San Francisco Giants Authentic Personalized Road Cool Base jersey ($271.99, http://shop.mlb.com). Though the rule of thumb in the uni game is that when you're away you proudly wear your hometown on your shirt, this year the LA Dodgers unveiled an away jersey with "Dodgers" scrawled across the chest.
Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

San Francisco Giants Authentic Personalized Road 2 Cool Base jersey ($242.99, http://shop.mlb.com). The Giants introduced this variation on their road jersey two seasons back. It's similar to the standard road kit, save that instead of :San Francisco" in block letters on the front, there's a black ?SF? on the chest.
Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

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With spring in full swing, we stop to take stock of what's really important:

baseball.

Yes, dapper chaps, forget fussing over which pastel suits in which madras, and decide instead which cap, jersey or player T you'll sport on Opening Day. Trust me, you won't be the only one sorting out how to best update your orange and black for the 2014 season.

Teams are perpetually tinkering with their on-field togs - often in an attempt at yet another officially sanctioned jersey (I'm looking at you, San Diego Padres, with your "marine digital" camo shirts) - yet few do it with the history-minded rigor of our hometown San Francisco Giants.

So for all those keeping sartorial score, here's your guide to the latest shine on the diamond.

Orange Fridays

Rookie season: 2010

The shift: The 2014 tweak is a big one, scrapping the block-type Giants logo and replacing it with something that longtime fans will happily recall, the script logo from the late '70s and early '80s.

Expert opinion: "We wore the orange jerseys during Fan Fest this year and they are pretty cool looking," says first baseman Brandon Belt. "I look forward to wearing them for every Giants Friday home game this season."

Trivia: The last time the Giants wore a jersey with the script logo, it was a pullover.

Home Creams

Rookie season: 2000

The shift: Nothing doing here. About as classic as it comes, this iteration of the home creams - yup, they're cream not white - join the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox as bastions of baseball tradition.

Expert opinion:Mario Alioto, Giants senior vice president of business operations, says that the only change he'd make to the uniform is "to add another World Series patch."

Trivia: Astoundingly, players keep the same jersey all season. According to the Giants, they may go through a couple pairs of pants.

Road Grays

Rookie season: 2000

The shift: A 2012 update didn't do much to change the look and feel of the jerseys. It just added a bit of black piping down the front of the American-made outfits. All Giants uniforms are made by Majestic Athletic in Easton, Pa.

Trivia: Though the rule of thumb in the uni game is that when you're away you proudly wear your hometown on your shirt, this year the L.A. Dodgers unveiled an away jersey with "Dodgers" scrawled across the chest.

Road Grays Alternate

Rookie season: 2012

The shift: The Giants introduced this variation on their road jersey two seasons back. It's similar to the standard road kit, save that instead of "San Francisco" in block letters on the front, there's a black "SF" on the chest.

Expert opinion: Alioto describes this alternate jersey as one that conjures the squad's '80s heyday. "To many fans, it reminds them of Will Clark."

Batting Practice Jersey

Rookie season: 2014

The shift: It's a change in materials, not aesthetics, for the batting practice jersey, which doubles as the spring training jersey. Like the rest of the team's Cool Base threads, this 100 percent polyester top is more technical fabric than the flannels of yore.

Trivia: The BP jersey is a remarkably strong seller in the team shop ($79.99; http://atmlb.com/1fu9F7h). It's the only black jersey in the collection, and thus quite popular with fans.